5 more ways to stop procrastinating

We’ve written a lot already about how to stop procrastinating, but we also know that procrastination is a constant struggle. The desire to kick back and relax is almost overwhelming! That’s why we’re here with five more strategies that will help you get back to work. Plus, the sooner you get back to work the sooner you’ll be finished!

1. Get the worst out of the way.

If you’ve got several tasks on your plate, it pays to get the worst out of the way. You know, the “big project” or whatever it is that you’re dreading. Writing that paper, studying for that exam. Why do that first? Because people tend to be more energized when they start working. Use that energy to work more efficiently. That way you’ll do better work in less time. Save the easier or smaller tasks for later, when you’re already worn out. If you do the easy stuff first, then you’ll be worn out by the time you get to the harder stuff. That’s a recipe for disaster.

2. Work in smaller segments of time.

Telling yourself to study all day is dang near impossible. Better to set shorter and more achievable goals, broken up into smaller segments of time. For example, tell yourself to study for two hours before lunch. Then take a break, unwind, and reward yourself. In the afternoon, repeat the process. You should find yourself more apt to do the work.

3. Avoid distraction.

While this may seem like common sense, many people don’t necessarily realize what they’re distracted by. For example, maybe you go to the library but forget to leave your phone at home. Then you find yourself checking Facebook and playing mobile games, which are things you could’ve done at home. Or maybe you try to get work done at a café, where the good food, loud music, and other patrons make it hard to focus. Is that really worth the lively atmosphere? The key here is to eliminate as many distractions as you can. This will make focusing much easier. In turn, you’ll find that you get more work done in less time. Not because you’re working harder, but because you’re working more efficiently.

4. Know whether you work best in a group or by yourself.

One way to cure the procrastination bug is to know where, when, and how you work best. In other words, understand your ideal working environment. A common mistake people make is working in groups when in fact they do better work by themselves. Of course, the opposite may also be true. Some people are motivated by working with friends, rather than distracted by them. The key is to know where you fall on the spectrum and actively seek out a working environment that meets those needs.

5. Do one task at a time.

While multitasking may seem like an efficient way to work, the truth is often the opposite. Multitasking can inadvertently overwhelm you by making you feel like you have more work than can be done. More still, multitasking can draw out each individual task, making it feel harder and more time consuming than it really is. Instead, focus on one task at a time. This allows you to work more efficiently and enjoy the feeling of having finished something before you move on to the next task.

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